Arch supporting apparatus



July 12, A. E. BLOCK ARCH SUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1934 s Sheets-Shggt 2 a VENTOR: ALEXANDER E. BLOCK A TTORNE Y5 July 12, 1938. 'A E, B CK 2,123,176

ARCHSUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1934 3 Sheets-Shoot I5 m. I Ill/I16. z;

[ill/I v INVENTOR; ALEXANDER E. BLOC/f 'BYWJW ATTORNEYS Patented July 12, 1938 2,123,176

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCH SUPPORTING APPARATUS Alexander E. Block, University City, Mo. Application November 17, 1934, Serial No. 753,465

17 Claims. (01. 36-71) This invention relates to shoes of the type that suitable retaining means. The term pad, as are equipped with removable or adjustable pads, herein used, is intended to refer to and include inserts or cushioning devices which are adapted any kind of a device or element that is used to to be arranged in various positions for correctcushion, support, treat, or provide comfort for ing or assisting in the treatment of various foot a part or portion of the human foot. diseases or ailments. Briefly described, my invention consists of a One object of my invention is to provide a shoe provided withapad carrier or holding means shoe of the general type mentioned, that is comconnected to the inner sole of the shoe, and conpact, light in Weight, inexpensive to construct structed from pieces of relatively thin, flexible and equipped with a plurality of metatarsal arch sheet material, such as leather or fabric; one or 0 pads and longitudinal arch pads that are posimore pockets at the forward end of said carrier tioned in pockets of novel construction and araccessible from the top side of same and adaptrangement. ed to receive one or more metatarsal arch Another object is to provide a shoe of the genpads; one or more longitudinally-disposed pockets l5 eral type mentioned, in which the holding means accessible from the top side of said carrier and or retaining means for the removable pads is adapted to receive one or more longitudinal arch formed from pieces of relatively thin, flexible pads and a rear end pocket on said carrier acsheet material, such as leather or fabric, concessible from the top side of same and adapted nected together in such a way as to form metato receive a heel pad. Said carrier is preferably 0 tarsal arch pad pockets of novel arrangement provided with a plurality of metatarsal arch pad whose rear ends are open, and longitudinal arch pockets arranged in overlapping relationship and pad pockets having side openings, thereby enahaving their rear ends open so as to permit the bling the shoe to be worn comfortably without metatarsal arch pads to be easily introduced into the pads, due to the fact that the pad holding their pockets, and the longitudinal arch pad means is thin enough or fiat enough to cause no pockets have side openings through which the annoyance or discomfort tothe user when the longitudinal arch pads may be easily introduced pads are not in operative position. into said pockets. Due to the fact that the var- Another object is to provide a shoe that is ious pockets above referred to are formed from equipped with a metatarsal arch pad and a novel pieces of thin, flexible sheet material, the carrier,

holding or retaining pocket for said pad, conas an entirety, is relatively thin and will lie flat 30 structed so that the pad is accessible from the against the inner sole of the shoe without causrear end of the pocket and is capable of being ing annoyance or discomfort to the user, if no adjusted in an extreme forward position, wherepads are mounted in the pockets of the carrier. in the pocket acts as an abutment to limit the The metatarsal arch pads may be constructed in 5 forward movement of the pad and hold the pad various ways and made of various shapes, but I so that a portion of same extends beyond the prefer to use rubber or other soft material, and front end of said pocket, thereby enabling the Construct each in the form Of a substantially shoe to be used to cure, correct or relieve metafeather-edged element of approximately disk tarsal arch trouble that cannot be successfully shape, provided on one side with a flat face and 4 handled with shoes or arch supporting apparatus on its opposite side with a convex surface having 40 of conventional construction. an eccentrically-disposed hump, a metatarsal And still another object of my invention is to arch pad of this particular form being capable provide a shoe that is equipped with a novel heel of a multitude of adjustments, owing to the fact pad pocket and also with -a heel pad of novel that it may be turned end for end or turned up- 5 construction. Other objects and desirable feaside-down. The longitudinal arch pads may also tures of my invention will be hereinafter pointed be of various shapes and constructed of various out, materials. In the preferred form of my inven- I have herein illustrated my invention embodtion herein illustrated the shoe is provided with ied in a shoe, but I wish it to be understood that a single outer longitudinal arch pad that is submy invention is applicable to arch supporting stantially wedge-shaped in transverse cross sec- 50 apparatus of the type that are adapted to be retion, and a plurality of inner longitudinal arch movably mounted in a shoe and also arch suppads arranged end to end, in overlapping relaporting apparatus of the type that are adapted tionship, and each being of substantially wedgeto be inserted in a shoe and held in position on shape in cross section. The pockets for the the inner sole of the shoe by an adhesive orother metatarsal pads, in addition tobeing arranged in 55 overlapping relationship, are so disposed with relation to the pockets for the longitudinal arch pads that one or more of the metatarsal arch pads can be adjusted or arranged so as to overlap one or more of the longitudinal arch pads. The pockets for the inner and outer longitudinal arch pads are also preferably arranged in overlapping relationship, and the rear end portions of the pockets for the outer longitudinal arch pad and.

one of the inner longitudinal arch. pads extend over or are in overlapping relationship with the pocket for the heel pad. In using the shoe one or more of the pads previously referred to is arranged in the carrier or pad holding means, depending upon the particular kind of foot trouble of the user, and after the trouble has been corrected or remedied, the pads may be removed from the carrier so that the carrier will lie flat upon the inner sole of the shoe. 7 i

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a shoe embodying my present invention. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1. s

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the carrier or pad holding means with no pads, arranged'in same.

Figure 4 is a top'plan view of'the outer longitudinal arch pad.

Figure 5 is a top plan viewof one of the metatarsal arch pads. 7

Figures 6 and 7 are top plan views of the tw inner longitudinal arch pads.

Figure 8 is a perspective view-of the heel pad,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the removable insert of the heel pad. a 1

Figures 10 and 11 are transverse sectional views, taken on the lines l0l0 and H--'I I, re-

spectively, ofFigure 3.

Figure 12 is another perspective view of the carrier or pad holding means, showing the open- 7 ings of the pockets in said carrier'which are adapted to receive the inner longitudinal arch pads.

Figure 13 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken through the heel portionof the shoe, showing the longitudinal arch pads removed from the carrier and the heel pads arranged in operative position.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure'13, showing the heel pad removed and the outer longitudinal arch pad arranged in operative position in the carrier.

Figure 15 is a similar View, showing the heel pad removed and one of the inner longitudinal arch pads arranged in operative position.

Figure 16 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken through the instep portion of' the shoe, showing the carrier equipped with only one longitudinal arch pad, i. e., the inner longitudinal arch pad that lies directly behind'the metatarsal arch pads.

Figure ll'is a fragmentary top plan view, illustrating another adjustment of the metatarsal arch pads; and

Figure 18 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line l8-l8 of Figure 17.

In the drawings [designates the inner sole of my improved shoe which is equipped with an arch supporting apparatus, preferably built into the shoeso as to form an integral part or same. Said apparatus comprises two metatarsal arch pads A and A, an outer longitudinal archpad B, two inner longitudinal arch pads 'C and C, a heel'pad'D, and a carrier or pad holding means,

designated as an entirety by the reference character .r in Figure 3, provided with pockets in which said various pads are positioned. As shown in Figure 3, the carrier as is provided at its front end with two overlapping pockets 2 and 2* that are adapted to receive the metatarsal arch pads A and A, respectively, a longitudinally-disposed pocket 3 that is adapted to receive the outer longitudinal arch pad B, two pockets 4 and 4 (see Figure 12) that are adapted to receive the inner longitudinal arch pads C and C, respectively, and a rear end pocket 5 that is adapted to receive the heel pad D. As shown in Figs. 3, 10 and 12, and as hereinafter more fully explained the heel pad pocket 5 extends unbrokenly across the entire transverse width of the inner sole, said pocket being formed by a stationary base piece and a movable top piece whose front end is secured to the carrier by a transverse hinge or joint so that when the rear end of said top piece is-lifted or'swung upwardly, a space is formed corresponding in width to the transverse width of the heel portion of the inner sole, in which a heel pad can be positioned. The carrier :1: is preferably made from a plurality of shaped pieces of thin, flexible sheet material such as leather or fabric, connected together by stitches y and permanently attached to the inner sole I of the shoe, as, for example, by means of a transversely-disposed curved row of stitches 2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2", the portion at the rear end of said carrier which constitutes the bottom of the heel pad pocket 5 being also preferably attached to the heel portion of the inner sole I, as, for example, by the clinched or turned over upper ends of the nails 6 used to attach the heel l of the shoe to the outer and inner soles of the shoe. In order to protect the users hose from direct contact with the pads or pad carrier, said carrier is provided with a sock liner or top piece '8 whose front end is secured by the transverse row of stitches .2, previously mentioned, the rear end portion of said sock liner or top piece 8 being free or unattached, so that said top piece may be lifted when it is desired to adjust or rearrange one or more pads of the apparatus.

The metatarsal arch pads A and A are preferably of the form shown in Figure 5, each of said pads consisting of a feather-edged element, constructed of rubber or other suitable material, and provided with a fiat bottom face and a convexed top face having an eccentrically-disposed hump 9, as shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 18. One end of saidelement is tapered, and at the opposite end of said element is a tang or reduced portion it which isiused to hold the pad in adjusted position in its pocket. Thus, shown in Figures 3 and 12, the top piece of each metatarsal arch pad pocket is provided with a fiap or reduced extension having a plurality of transversely-disposed slits ll that are adapted to receive the tang or reduced portion it! at the rear end of thepad positioned in said pocket. To position either of the metatarsal arch pads, the pad is introduced into the rear end of its pocket, and after it has been set in the correct position, the tang ll] of the pad is inserted in one of the slits H in the flap on the'top piece of the pocket, thereby causing the pad to be interlocked with the top piece of its pocket in such a way that it is effectively held'against accidental shifting. In order to increase the range of adjustment of the metatarsal arch pads one or both of the pockets at the forward end of the carrier :1: may have its top piece cut away, as, for example, at

l2, as shown in Figures 3. and 1. This cut away portion l2 of the top piece of the pocket is of less length than the width of the opening at the rear endof the pocket through which the pad is introduced into the pocket thereby permitting the pad in said pocket, for example, the pad A to be adjusted forwardly into a position where the front end ofthe pocket acts as an abutment to limit the forward movement of the pad and the tapered front end of the pad projects forwardly beyond the front end of the pocket, as shown in Figure 1. By constructing the shoe in this manner I am able to arrange the metatarsal arch correcting means in a further forward position than would be possible if the pocket 2 for the pad A were provided With an imperforate or uncut front end, and I obtain a pocket in which the pad can be positioned quickly and easily due to the fact that the pocket is provided at its rear end with an entrance opening of greater width than the extreme width of the pad and is provided at its front end with an opening (formed by the cut away portion 82) that is of less width than the extreme width of the pad. The metatarsal arch pad pockets 2 and 2 are arranged in overlappingrelationship, as shown in Figure 18, and said pockets are also preferably arranged in arcuate alignment, as shown in Figure 1, so as to permit the user to arrange the pads A and A so they will conform accurately to the anterior metatarsal arch. The portion of the carrier that forms the base piece of the pockets for the metatarsal arch pads projects slightly beyond the front ends of the top pieces of said pockets, and the front end of the sock liner 8 projects slightly beyond the terminal end of said base piece and is skived or feather edged, so that there will be'no transverse ridge on the inner sole'of the shoe that might cause annoyance to the user. Although the rear end portion of the carrier at that constitutes the base piece of the heel pad pocket is secured to the inner sole of the shoe, as previously explained, the top piece of said heel pad pocket is free to move upwardly to facilitate the introduction, removal, or adjustment of the heel pad, said heel pad pocket top piece being stitched or secured in the zone of the shank of the shoe at a point in front of the heel. Moreover, when the top piece of the heel pad pocket is raised, the pockets for the longitudinal arch pads are brought into a condition which makes it very easy to insert, remove oradjust the longitudinal arch pads, this, of course, resulting from the fact that the freely movable top piece of the heel pad pocket carries or is attached to portions of the carrier 3: which constitute parts of the pockets for the longitudinal arch pads.

The outer longitudinal arch pad B and the rear inner longitudinal arch pad C are preferably made of cork, and as previously stated, are wedgeshaped in transverse cross section. The other longitudinal arch pad C is preferably made of rubber and consists of an elongated'member having one substantially semi-circular-shaped or segmental-shaped edge, and also a convexed surface that has an eccentrically-disposed hump 9, as shown in Figure '7. Due to the fact that the longitudinal arch pads and the metatarsal arch pads may be arranged in overlapping relationship, and some of said pads may also be reversed or turned upside down, the apparatus may be adjusted so as to adapt itself to practically any human foot. This, coupled with the fact that the pads may be adjusted, re-arranged or removed by the user without requiring the services of one skilled in the treatment of foot trouble, makes the shoe a decided improvement upon prior arch supporting apparatus of the kind now on the market. Also, as previously stated, the carrier or pad holding means a: of the shoe is of such construction that when it is not equipped with pads, said carrier will lie flat against the inner sole of the shoe, and thus not cause annoyance or discomfort to the user.

If it is necessary or desirable to use a heel pad, any suitable type or kind of heel pad may be arranged in the heel pad pocket at the rear end of the carrier 1:. I prefer, however, to equip the shoe with a heel pad that can be adjusted so as to raise or lower the base of the users heel bone or provide a hard or soft supporting surface for said heel bone. In the form of my invention herein illustrated, the heel pad D comprises a body portion I3 made of rubber and provided at its center with a socket or depression Et in which a removable insert I4 is adapted to be positioned. The insert I4 is formed of material that is of a different character or nature than the material of which the body portion l3 of the heel pad is constructed. For example, the insert Hl may be formed of material that is denser or slightly harder than the body portion of the heel pad, so as to form a support for the base of the heel bone that will not yield or compress as readily as the body portion of the heel pad. If a higher or lower supporting surface for the base of the heel bone is required, this adjustment can be made by removing the insert and substituting for same an insert of proper height or thickness. As previously explained, the pocket 5 in thecarrier that is adapted to receive the heel pad D, is accessible from the top side of the carrier, it being possible to introduce the heel pad into its pocket, simply by raising the rear end portion of the carrier which constitutes the top part of the pocket '5 and then position the heel pad D on the bottom piece of said pocket that is attached to the heel portion of the inner sole I of the shoe.

As previously stated, my invention is applicable to a shoe having an arch supporting apparatus of the kind above described, built into the shoe,

and it is also applicable to an arch supporting apparatus built in the form of a unit or structure that is adapted to be removably mounted in a shoe. In addition to being easy to adjust and providing an exceptionally large number of adjustments for the bones constituting the anterior metatarsal arch, the longitudinal arches and the heel, the apparatus is light in weight, inexpensive to construct, and of such design that the carrier or pad holding means of same Will cause no annoyance or discomfort to the user, in the event said carrier remains in the shoe with no pads positioned in same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shoe having an arch supporting apparatus, comprising a carrier provided with pockets for longitudinal arch pads and a plurality of individual metatarsal arch pads on said carrier arranged in overlapping lateral relationship with one another and also disposed in overlapping relationship with one or more of the longitudinal arch pads, thereby enabling a metatarsal arch pad to be arranged in various positions transversely of the carrier without liability of shifting laterally out of adjusted position.

2. A shoe of the kind described in claim 1, in

which the metatarsal arch pad pockets-of the carrier are arranged in arcuate alignment.

3. A shoe of the kind described in claim 1, in which the carrier is formed from pieces of thin, flexible sheet material combined so as to form pad receiving pockets accessible from the top side of the carrier, the pockets for the metatarsal pads having slitted flaps that are used to hold the metatarsal pads in adjusted position.

4. A shoe provided with a pad carrier, formed from relatively thin, flexible sheet material, a pocket at the forward end of said carrier having an entrance opening presented toward the heel portion of the shoe, a longitudinally adjustable metatarsal arch pad positioned in said pocket, a slitted flap on the top wall of said pocket, and a part on the pad adjustably connected with said slitted flap.

5. A shoe provided with a pad carrier, formed from relatively thin, flexible sheet material, a pocket at the forward end of said carrier having an entrance opening presented toward the heel portion of the shoe, a longitudinally adjustable metatarsal arch pad. positioned in said pocket, with a portion of said pad engaging the front end of said pocket and a portion of said pad projecting forwardly through an opening in the front end of the pocket, and an integral portion on said pad adjustably interlocked with an integral portion of the top piece of said pocket.

6. A shoe provided with a pad carrier constructed from relatively thin, flexible sheet material, a plurality of individual metatarsal arch pad pockets on the upper side of the front end portion of said carrier arranged in overlapping lateral relationship and in arcuate alignment, the rear ends of said pockets being open and the top pieces of said pockets having flaps, and adjustable metatarsal arch pads removably mounted in said pockets and adjustably connected with said flaps, one of said pockets having an opening in its front end so as to permit the pad in said pocket to be adjusted into a position where a portion of said pad projects forwardly through said opening and a'portion of said pad engages the front end of the pocket.

'7. A shoe of the kind described in claim 6, in which said pads are provided with tangs and the top piece of each of said pockets is provided with a plurality of transversely-disposed slits in its flap located difierent distances from the front ends of said pockets and adapted to receive the tangs on said pads.

8. A shoe provided with a pad carrier formed from a plurality of pieces of relatively thin, flexible sheet material connected together in such a way as to form a heel pad pocket at the rear end of the carrier, a plurality of individual metatarsal arch pad pockets arranged in overlapping lateral relationship at the front end of the carrier, and intermediate pockets for receiving inner and outer longitudinal arch pads, said intermediate pockets having side openings and said end pockets having entrance openings at their rear ends, and removable pads positioned in said pockets and adapted to be arranged so that the metatarsal arch pads may be arranged in overlapping relationship with one another and with two of the longitudinal arch pads and two of said longitudinal arch pads may be arranged in overlapping relationship with the heel pad.

9. A shoe provided with a pad carrier, a removable heel pad in said carrier, and a removable insert in said'pad adapted to serve as a support for the base of the users heel bone and formed from material that is of greater density or hardness than said pad.

10. An arch supporting apparatus for shoes, comprising a carrier, formed of relatively thin, flexible sheet material, said carrier being adapted to be permanently attached to the inner sole of a shoe and provided with a plurality of pockets accessible from the top side of said carrier, reversible metatarsal arch pads arranged in overlapping relationship at the front end of said carrier, a removable heel pad at the rear end of said carrier, provided with a central portion that may be changed to vary the supporting surface for the users heel bone, and adjustable, longitudinal arch pads of substantially wedge shape in cross section mounted on said carrier in overlapping relationship.

11. A heel pad for shoes provided with a portion adapted to serve as a support for the users heel bone and being of greater density or hardness than. the remainder of the pad.

12. A pad carrier for shoes, and a pad pocket on said carrier, said pocket having an opening at its forward end, the front portion of the bottom of said pocket being stationary or immovable and the rear end portion of said pocket being slotted so as to hold inserts at various points with reference to the length of said pocket.

13. A pad carrier for shoes, provided with a base piece, a pad pocket on the anterior arch portion of the carrier. and a separate pad pocket on the rear portion of the carrier, the front end of said rear pocket overlapping the rear end of the anterior arch pocket.

14. An adjustable inner longitudinal arch pad for shoes, consisting of an elongated member of substantially ellipsoidal form in general outline, that is adapted to be arranged with its long axis extending longitudinally of the shoe, said member being provided on one of. its surfaces with a hump disposed at one side of the longitudinal axis of said member.

15. An arch supporting apparatus for shoes, comprising a carrier adapted to lie upon the inner sole of the shoe and provided at its forward end with pockets for receiving metatarsal arch pads, said pockets having provision for holding the pads in overlapping lateral relationship and in arcuate alignment, the rear ends of said pockets being open.

16. An arch supporting apparatus for shoes, comprising a base piece adapted to be attached to the inner sole of the shoe, a top piece adapted to be raised or lifted, and an intermediate portion between said top piece and base piece hinged at a point between the heel and the zone of the rear transverse arch area.

17. A pad carrier for shoes, comprising a base piece adapted to be anchored to the inner sole of a shoe, and superimposed portions on the top side of said base piece arranged in overlapping relationship and hinged to said base piece at different zones, said overlapping portions cooperating with each other and with the base piece to form pad pockets accessible from the top side of the carrier and each comprising a fiap or top part whose rear end can be raised to facilitate the insertion, removal or adjustment of the pads in said pockets.

ALEXANDER E. BLOCK. 

